Several arts-related shows and exhibitions are cropping up in fashion-friendly places.
As part of an ongoing effort to showcase artistic programs, Spring Place will be staging “Infoxication” Monday night.
The 50-minute multidisciplinary performance will feature art, music, dance and technology. The theme is technology’s presence in our lives. Infoxication is the latest arts-related collaboration at Spring, with the American Ballet Theatre and the Water Miller Center being others. Monday’s will be the first full production, and the largest one to date, with more than 20 collaborators, according to Spring Place’s art director, Roya Sachs. The full immersive experience includes product support from Google — Pixelbooks and Pixel phones. “It’s definitely in the vein of trying to create these more impactful and interactive programming and performances,” Sachs said.
The four-part experience is meant to take audience members on a visual, physical and mental journey. Ticket holders will learn the story of “waking, working, wanting and withdrawing.”
Collaborators include choreographer Dusan Tynek, a world premier composition by Danielle Eva Schwob, live body art by Heather Hansen, and performances by PubliQuartet and cellist Inbal Segev. Schwob said Friday, “Our goal has been to provide an even-sided take on people’s daily lives. It’s very easy to talk about

Concept Korea wants to help Korean designers beyond New York Fashion Week.
The organization, which is formed out of Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism agency, came to New York 10 years ago with the goal of providing Korean designers with the resources to have a show during New York Fashion Week. Successful alumni from the program include Kai, Beyond Closet and Juun.J.
But according to Misun Song, project director of Concept Korea, the designers have requested more help in the U.S. market, which is why Concept Korea is launching The Select, a showroom that opened this week that will feature the spring collections from 10 Korean designers including Nohant, Lie, Wnderkammer, Bmuet(te), Kye, Beyond Closet, The Centaur, SWBD, Hidden Forest Market and Heohwan Simulation. The showroom is located at 62 Greene Street in New York.
“We allow designers to do a show twice a year and then after that they disconnect from the market,” said Song. “We heard from a lot of designers that they would like a more permanent space in the U.S.”
The showroom will serve as a space where buyers can discover brands and conduct business, but it will also be a venue for pop-ups that will be open

MILAN — On Friday, the Italian Chamber of Fashion marked the opening of Milan Fashion Week with the fourth edition of Milano Moda Graduate, which continues to promote young designers.
The show featured collections from eight designers selected among students of Italian fashion schools including, among others, IED, Istituto Marangoni, NABA and Domus Academy.
Camera Nazionale della Moda invited a jury presided over by Renzo Rosso, founder of Diesel parent group OTB, to evaluate the candidates and assign the award. Other members of the jury included Camera president Carlo Capasa; Anna Zegna; Marco Lau, merchandising manager at Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, and Alessandra Carra, chief executive officer of Agnona, among others.
Mauro Muzio Medaglia of Accademia Costume e Moda scooped up the CNMI Fashion Trust award for best collection with a women’s wear lineup inspired by the Forties and referencing the style of Peggy Guggenheim, featuring see-through dresses nipped at the waist in pale shades of pink and mint.

The prize of 10,000 euros is aimed at helping the designer develop his business. Rosso, who contended that “young designers embody cross-pollination, freshness and spontaneity,” presented the award.
The prize was backed by the CNMI

Ten designers from Ireland hoping to break into the American market, came to New York this week for the “WearingIrish NYC” event, a new platform for promoting Irish fashion.
They also came to break stereotypes of Irish design being mired in tradition and lacking modernity. Tweeds and knitwear are iconic to the region, though organizers of WearingIrish NYC say the participating designers are adept at both giving “a nod” to Ireland’s heritage and maintaining a contemporary appeal.
Selected from 170 qualified candidates, the winners included Aine, Alison Conneely, Bláithín Ennis, De Bruir, Inner Island, Jennifer Rothwell, Natalie B. Coleman, Sands and Hall, The Tweed Project and Triona. Each showed their fall 2018 collections to American retail buyers, editors, business and fashion leaders at WearingIrish NYC, a mini trade show at the Bank of Ireland, one of the sponsors of the three-day event, that also featured panels and networking. None of the designers currently sell American retailers, but some have sold products online to American consumers.
“We are firmly rooted in tradition and we work with weavers on the West Coast of Ireland. But our design philosophy is filtered through a modernist lens. Our cuts are very contemporary,” said Conneely, who utilizes Donegal tweed and Connemara lace in her

DOG YEARS: Dover Street Market has unveiled a new collaborative project to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Friends and collaborators of the retailer, including streetwear label A Bathing Ape, NikeLab, Undercover, Noah and Stüssy, as well as the musician Nick Cave, came together to design limited-edition Year of the Dog-themed T-shirts.
The T-shirts feature imagery and humorous illustrations of dogs and will be sold exclusively at Dover Street Market stores worldwide, as of Friday, the first day of London Fashion Week.

A T-shirt by Dreamland Syndicate.
Courtesy Photo

Alongside the Year of the Dog project, the retailer plans to debut a series of other collaborations and in-store installations to coincide with London Fashion Week.
In celebration of London’s eclectic spirit, Charles Jeffrey will display inflatable pieces designed by Gary Card for his fall 2018 show in-store, Simone Rocha’s new jewelry range will be featured in a special display, while Gosha Rubchinskiy will be making an appearance to celebrate his eyewear collaboration with Retrosuperfuture.
Buzzy new label The Vampire’s Wife, the brainchild of musician Nick Cave’s wife Suzy, will also be launching a range of intricate charms created in collaboration with jewelry brand Annoushka.

GENIUS 8: Moncler revealed on Wednesday the names of the designers and creative talents that are part of its new Genius Building project with the tagline “One House Different Voices.” They are: Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli; stylist Karl Templer who will curate Moncler 1952; Sandro Mandrino for Moncler Grenoble; Simone Rocha; Craig Green; Noir Kei Ninomiya; Hiroshi Fujiwara for Moncler Fragment, and Francesco Ragazzi for Moncler Palm Angels.
The collections for men’s and women’s will be presented together in Milan on Feb. 20, and will be launched as single monthly projects.
Moncler Genius Building will be available at the brand’s boutiques and in pop-up stores around the world.
As reported, Moncler has been teasing the new strategy on social media and billboards here ahead of its show.
Genius Building follows the 10-year run of the Moncler Gamme Bleu and Gamme Rouge lines, designed by Thom Browne and Giambattista Valli, respectively.

Name: Willy Chavarria
Background: Chavarria, a Mexican-American, grew up in Huron, Calif., a small town near Fresno, and held design stints at Ralph Lauren and American Eagle Outfitters before starting Palmer Trading Co., his Made in the U.S. men’s wear line that leaned heavily toward workwear and was snapped up by Japanese retailers. Now he’s exclusively focused on his namesake assortment of men’s wear.
Inspiration this season: “Faith in humanity during dark times.”
Mentor or idol: “I love the work of film director Romain Gavras. I find a connection with it in my work.”
Goal: “I’d like to help us see ourselves in a new light.”
What’s your favorite secret spot in New York?: The lobby bar at Jolly Madison Towers Hotel on 38th and Madison Avenue.

Name: Emily Adams Bode
Background: Bode was born and raised in Atlanta, and spent her summers in New England, where she frequented antique shops and shows with her mother. Through that she was introduced to age-old techniques and fabrications. “I have always been drawn to hand-work, craft and labors of love,” the designer said. “The stories told through craft and the sense of the hand, the individual-maker, drew me to them.” Bode eventually moved to New York, where she graduated from Parsons

Siriano dressed 11 women at the Golden Globes and three at the Screen Actors Guild Awards so far this season, and he’s proud to align himself with the movement. He also hopes the creative process behind getting “red carpet ready” will continued to be honored.

“I’m glad all these powerful women are coming together and it’s time that their voice is heard,” Siriano told PeopleStyle at the launch of his new E.L.F. Cosmetics collection. “ fashion is still very important. Fashion designers should still be celebrated.”

Siriano pointed out that the red carpet is about “celebrating creativity and art” as a whole.

“It’s not just about showcasing the actors. The designers are being showcased. The hair and makeup teams are being showcased. We’re all in the industry together,” Siriano told us. “Actually, none of us can survive without the other, which I think sometimes people forget.”

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He continued, “Wearing a beautiful dress is a privilege too because without that, there would be no red carpet to go on. It’s a balance about supporting all of each other, so I hope to see that more.”

Siriano called the all-black movement at the Golden Globes “pretty great,” but wasn’t afraid to admit it created quite the challenge for him as a designer dressing 11 different women for the event. “It’s been hard,” he laughed. “It’s been a really rough one.”

To donate to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, which will provide subsidized legal support to women and men in all industries who have experienced sexual harassment, assault or abuse in the workplace, visit its GoFundMe page. Learn more about Time’s Up, an organization of women in entertainment combating sexual harassment and inequality, on its website.

“I remember we were doing a velvet gown and somebody asked for a velvet gown. I was like, ‘Oh, I already did a velvet gown, but what if she doesn’t wear it?’ It was crazy and a juggle of everything, but it all worked out. Everybody looked really powerful and amazing,” Siriano said.

To communicate empowerment through each look he designed, Siriano made sure each woman felt like herself when she put on the clothing.

“Debra was killing it. She was like, ‘No, I don’t want to wear a frilly dress, which everybody thinks I’m going to wear,’” he told us. “She told me, ‘I want to wear a pant and something cool and powerful.’ So that was fun.”

DRESSED-UP TECHNOLOGY: For a fourth year, Epson is hosting its annual “digital couture project” pre-New York Fashion Week. The theme of the Feb. 6 presentation, to be held in New York, is “Cosmopolitan Couture with Impossible Colors — How Does Your Culture Dress Up?” Participating designers from North and Latin America will showcase designs that used Epson’s textile printing solutions. Keith Kratzberg, president and chief executive officer of Epson America Inc., said the “future of fashion is customization — from the colors and prints, to the size and shape of garments — all on-demand.”
Kratzberg said the company’s “digital-imaging technology is changing the business of fashion, providing a platform for designers to print higher-quality, more unique designs for customers on-demand, as well as the ability to print just in time.”
Prior to the fashion show, Epson is hosting a panel discussion on how digital technology is changing the fashion industry. Panel participants include: interior designer Ryan Korban; Mark Sunderland from Thomas Jefferson University, and Aliza Licht, executive vice president of brand marketing and communications for Alice + Olivia.

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PARIS — Situated among orthopedic shoe stores, natural wine bars and bobo restaurants, La Petite Fripe sells vintage footwear to fashion designers and their Parisian muses.
The pocket-sized boutique, located in the 11th arrondissement’s trendier zone, exclusively sells unworn, dead stock vintage shoes. While only open since September, the store has quickly culled a fan base including girl-about-town Clara Cornet, model Louise Follain and actress Pauline Jacquard. It has also become a sourcing ground of inspiration for footwear designers at some of Paris’ leading fashion houses, with designers accounting for half the shop’s sales.
Founded by antique and vintage dealer Lhassan Oubakrim, La Petite Fripe’s shelves have recently housed an assortment of Eighties metallic mule pumps, dandy loafers and embroidered mukluk boots. Shoes are typically priced around 80 euros, with boots hitting the highest price point at about 280 euros.
Here, Oubakrim speaks with WWD on about his store.
WWD: What is your work experience prior to opening this boutique?
Lhassan Oubakrim: I have been a bargain hunter and an antique dealer for years. I love unexpected discoveries and the feeling of finding one amazing piece amongst a mountain of s–t. It is both my work and my passion.
I had another shop before. The first Petite Fripe was on

FESTIVE SPIRIT: It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas as guests flowed into Yannick Alléno’s three-star restaurant, the Pavillon Ledoyen, on Thursday night Numéro editor in chief Babeth Djian’s annual dinner for Rwandan children, with proceeds going to Les Amis des Enfants du Monde (Friends of the Children of the World).
Designers including Olivier Rousteing, Alber Elbaz, Alexandre Vauthier, Jean Paul Gaultier and Christan Louboutin — who took Djian for a spin on the dance floor — got into the festive spirit.
Sparkle and black was the dress code with outfits ranging from Karidja Touré’s peak-shouldered silver and black jacket by Mugler to the matching, jewelry-loaded, black and gold Saint Laurent ensembles sported by rising rock star brother-sister duo Natalie and Elliot Bergman of Wild Belle who had been flown in by the house for the event. “I love bells,” deadpanned Elliot Bergman, whipping out his phone to share a photo of a set of bronze bells he has on display in a Paris gallery. The group is recording their third album, “a back-to-roots affair,” between Chicago and Los Angeles.
Dressed in a sheer gold leaf-embroidered black gown layered over a T-shirt by Louis Vuitton, French actress Ana Girardot, who has

FRANKFURT — Her work speaks for itself. That is the message Jil Sander conveyed in no uncertain terms Thursday, first by skipping the preopening press conference for her first solo retrospective at Frankfurt’s Museum for Applied Art. To be sure, the exhibit dramatically celebrates the power of less on three floors and 32,000 square feet of sparsely filled, precisely staged space.
“Jil Sander: Present Tense” opens Friday and runs through May. It’s been a project museum director Matthias Wagner K. said was on the top of his wish list when he joined the museum five years ago, but Sander was not easy to convince. For one thing, she’s not fond of looking back. For another, she’s no fan of the customary still-life parade. “I’m not really a friend of clothes on mannequins, especially clothes that someone has worn before. It’s not really my dream,” she told WWD prior to the opening. What changed her mind?
Richard Meier’s white L-shaped, three-cube complex, with its ramps, open vistas, space flooded with light, and a mutable floor plan where walls could appear or disappear. After visiting the building, Sander decided to take the plunge, and for the past year and a half, she, her team

FOR A GREATER GOOD: Rather than just talk about concern for Hurricane Maria victims in Puerto Rico, hairstylist Dana Boyer and makeup artist Erin Green agreed a fund-raiser was in order.
With the help of Pace Gallery’s shipping manager Tim Strazza and independent producer Travis Kiewel, their NY4PR event will be held Nov. 2 at Think!Chinatown x ChaShaMa space at 384 Broadway. All proceeds from the event will benefit Unidos/The Hispanic Foundation. Seventy artists, photographers and contributors have already signed on and between 200 and 300 supporters are expected.
With only 2 percent of schools open, and electricity still a problem for most of Puerto Rico, Boyer said of the upcoming fund-raiser: “It felt important. It felt that it needed to happen.”
The roster of participants includes Inez & Vinoodh, Bibi Cornejo-Borthwick, Curtis Kulig, Tim Barber, Petra Collins, Daniel Shea, Lachlan Bailey, Dan Martensen, Jay Miriam, Meriem Bennani, Paul Wackers, Chad Moore, Signe Pierce, Daniel Arnold and Joe Garvey. From the fashion and beauty crowd, Trademark, Joanna Vargas, Alumnae, Catbird, Nova and Anna Sheffield will be contributing items for the auction. Donations will also be accepted at the door with NY4PR aiming to raise upwards of $ 60,000, Boyer said.
“These events are always so

MAYORAL APPEAL: Rather than just send a letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio asking — for a second time — that the Garment Center Steering Committee’s recommendations be considered before any changes to the zoning are made, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (N.Y.) and a group of supporters held a press event Saturday morning.
On the rooftop of Nanette Lepore’s showroom, Lepore, Bob Savage, Yeohlee Teng, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and about 25 others voiced their concern about the potential upheaval of the neighborhood’s ecosystem. Standing beside a chart that outlined the garment center’s boundaries, Maloney recalled the time in the Seventies when the district was created by former Mayor Ed Koch and how he spoke “forcefully” about the need “to preserve this dynamic, creative ecosystem. He had that vision and every other mayor has kept that vision. I’m all for development in Brooklyn, but there’s room for everybody.”
Earlier this year city officials proposed a $ 136 million “Made in New York” campus at Bush Terminal in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park. About 40 Garment Center supporters helped to stall plans to set that plan in motion, by staging another press event days before an Aug. 21 City Planning Commission meeting.

Project Runway is making a big change this season by including models of all sizes, but Heidi Klum says the designers weren’t all thrilled.

“They kind of went like this, ‘Ah?’ ” Klum, 44, tells Entertainment Tonight, while making a displeased face. “A lot of them actually weren’t too happy about it.”

The supermodel and host points out that the designers need to be realistic about who they’re dressing.

“This is the real world. Not everyone is, you know, runway figure or what the runway figure used to be,” she says. “You have to dress real people, and real people come in different sizes: short, tall, more voluptuous, skinny. There is many of us, and so a real designer needs to know how to do that. So get with it.”

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Brand: Private Policy
Designers: Haoran Li and Siying Qu
Aesthetic: Genderless luxury streetwear
Backstory: The duo met while they were design students at The New School’s Parsons School of Design. Both China natives who had emigrated to New York to fulfill their dreams in fashion, they graduated in May 2015 and blended Qu’s talents in women’s wear and Li’s in men’s wear to create Private Policy. They offered up a range of unisex silhouettes in high-quality fabrics such as satin/velvet, silk/wool and fur, with a mission to reinvent downtown streetwear. But the collection also delivers a loud societal message and a call to action — prior seasons have taken on issues such as slave labor and global warning.
Spring Inspiration: Trinkets: A View of America Through Foreigners’ Eyes. The idea behind the collection is that in light of the current political climate, the idea of the American Dream may be lost. So the duo collected some pieces from ordinary life and infused them into Native American-inspired vests and jackets, reinvented denim jackets and pants embellished with rhinestones and abstract prints that resemble the Thank You plastic bags used at convenience stores around the country.
Why They Want to Show in New York: New York is where

With the departure of Amazon Fashion as the primary sponsor of New York Fashion Week: Men’s, Cadillac is stepping up its game this season.
Cadillac House, a one-year-old event space on Hudson Street, will serve as an official runway location for the third time. But the automotive company, which has sponsored the men’s-only event since its inaugural season in 2015, this time has provided grants to seven designers showing at the venue — Todd Snyder, Robert Geller, Dyne, Kenneth Ning, Matiere, Luar and Rochambeau — which were intended to “enable the designers to push boundaries and produce an experience beyond the traditional runway show,” according to Cadillac.
The designers chosen for the grants submitted proposals demonstrating how they would creatively reimagine Cadillac House during their shows for the spring season. As a result, Cadillac is paying the entire cost of staging their shows, according to the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which hosts the week.
“It was important to us that our commitment to NYFW: Men’s continued to evolve this season, so we provided grants to help both established and emerging designers realize their most dynamic and compelling shows possible,” said Nathan Tan, associate director of brand partnerships and experiences for Cadillac. “To cut through the clutter today, designers need to think outside the box, but too often their vision can be limited by

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CHILLING OUT: A cool breeze whipped up the sandy ground of the Tuileries Gardens, much to the relief of guests gathered for a cocktail party organized by the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine on the second day of sweltering men’s shows in Paris.
Dior chief Sidney Toledano, president of the men’s ready-to-wear division of French fashion’s governing body, and Pascal Morand, executive president of the federation, welcomed designers including Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Martine Sitbon, Gustavo Lins, Angus Chiang and José Lévy.
Toledano has become something of a weather expert of late, what with Dior staging its women’s cruise collection outdoors in a California nature preserve, reprising its couture show on a rooftop in Japan, and preparing to celebrate its 70th anniversary with an event in Paris on July 3.
“They say it’s going to rain next weekend, but who knows what will happen on the Monday,” he said.
Boris Bidjan Saberi was among those who showed their collections earlier in the day amid a record-breaking heat wave.
“Basically, Ben Frost, the artist who made the music, his computers were melting, and everything was melting. I was really feeling very bad for everybody—not only for myself, but for the models, for the people who came

FASHION FILMS: The British Fashion Council and BAFTA hosted their Fashion Arts Film Commissions screening in London on Thursday.
Guests including Emilia Wickstead, Rupert Sanderson, Stephen Jones, Richard James, Toby Lamb, Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi watched two films — “Reflections on Hollywood” and “The Eyes of My Father” — at the auditorium of the British Academy Film and Television Arts, followed by a drinks reception at Maison Assouline.
“Reflections on Hollywood” is a modern story about the escapades of a movie star. The film was written, produced and directed by Jessica de Rothschild with costumes designed by Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Gieves & Hawkes and Stephen Webster.
De Rothschild said she loved the “rock ‘n’ roll, insouciant attitude of Preen by Thornton Bregazzi and Stephen Webster” and the “classic elegance” of Gieves & Hawkes. “They all combine perfectly to tell a story of one magical night at the iconic Peninsula, Beverly Hills as we follow Miss Diamond, a famous movie star, on an enchanting adventure through the hotel,” said de Rothschild.
“It’s so wonderful to see it on the big screen,” said Thornton. “And to see the way they have interpreted the clothes into the film. The narrative was beautiful and charming and

PHOTOS FOR A CAUSE: “It’s a moment of light. People expect to see fame or fashion from me, but that’s not what I take,” said Elizabeth Saltzman at the opening of the E. Tautz charity photography exhibition in London’s Mayfair. Saltzman’s image of light rays was taken during a museum visit. “I like that fact that it’s something private, then taken public,” she said.
Saltzman was among those who contributed images to the E. Tautz show, organized by the brand’s owner and creative director Patrick Grant. The show is called “150” to mark the brand’s 150th anniversary and took place at the Duke Street flagship on Tuesday evening.
Guests including Louise Gray, James Long and his sister Charlotte, joined the crowd on the lower level of the store and viewed works on display. There was imagery by Long, and fellow designer Agi Mdumulla, Sam Cotton, Charles Jeffrey, Claire Barrow, Henry Holland, Kit Neale, Liam Hodges, Louise Gray, Nigel Cabourn and Roksanda Ilincic. The images will remain on display until July 6, and their creators will remain anonymous until the moment of purchase.
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While not exactly a bastion of designer labels, Latvia has wholeheartedly embraced the buy-now trend for runway shows.
Participants in the most recent round of Riga Fashion Week were encouraged by Baltic Fashion Federation representatives to offer buy-now runway looks. Alise Trautmane, who presents her Narciss collection and is a former Latvia Designer of the Year winner, was one of the first to offer buy-now looks.
During the five-day event, which ended earlier this month, attendees at each show were told beforehand whether the upcoming collection was a buy-now one, and if so, where it was being sold. “It was a little commercial. That had never happened before but it supported the designers. They were acknowledging, ‘Why not shop the collection?’” Trautmane said. “About 400 of the 600 people at the shows were potential clients.”
Having recently stopped doing trade shows, an increasingly popular cost-cutting measure for independent designers, Trautmane said eliminating wholesale is another. With a store in Riga, as well as e-commerce, Trautmane also recently cofounded with Sai Kong a co-sharing store/space called Dreams on Air that features 30 designers in New York City. “I already publicize all the [runway] looks on social media. It doesn’t make sense to tell customers,

FLOATING A NEW IDEA: For the designers housed at Dreams on Air, the set-up offers the double-barreled approach of retail upstairs and a public relations showroom downstairs.
Apparel, jewelry, handbags, shoes and sunglasses are featured on the 2,500-square-foot first floor of 120 Wooster Street in Manhattan, and one level below, samples from the featured designers are ready for editors, stylists and bloggers. The concept was created by Alise Trautmane, a The New School’s Parsons School of Design graduate and former Designer of the Year in Latvia for her Narciss label, and Sai Kong, who also created a brand. The duo also have marketing and retail experience, which they are putting to use for 25 New York-based emerging designers.
Shoppers can find labels such as Alexandra Nam, Artemis Design Co., Echtego, Eric Javits, Faces, Gwen Salakaia, Hi June Parker, Jordan Matériel, Pirosmani, PÓAR, Saku, Sankt, Sarah Swann, Sarara Couture and S/H Koh. Trautmane said, “Designers share the costs of the rent and the professional staff for retail, [public relations], marketing. Designers keep all the proceeds from items sold minus a small administrative fee. They sell for their retail prices. We do not buy the collections.”
“Even for extremely talented designers, it’s almost impossible to

SPACE ODYSSEY: On|Off, the London-based showcase that helped kick-start the careers of J.W. Anderson and Peter Pilotto, among others, took over London’s Oxo Tower on Friday to introduce three new designers: Luke Anthony Rooney, Jack Irving and Timothy Bouyez-Forge.
Taking cues from Rosalind Russell, the feisty, fashionable reporter who played opposite Cary Grant in the 1940 screwball comedy, “His Girl Friday,” Rooney offered a lovely wardrobe that oscillated between breezy weekend dressing and crisp workwear, in line with Russell’s character.
To wit, he paired a striped knitted sweater with a wonderfully light, silky slipdress and conjured a jumpsuit from a textured wool fabric donated to him by Christian Lacroix.
The group show quickly turned conceptual with Irving’s “army of alien showgirls,” as he called them. Cue corsets sculpted from plastic shards and matching headwear and zippy, sequined stretch bodysuits with inflatable spikes protruding from the back like a giant cosmic porcupine.
“I’m only 23,” Irving offered apologetically, “I don’t want to wash it down. I want to be more of an artist than a fashion designer,” he said. One could only picture Lady Gaga — an avid Irving supporter — sporting one of these.
Bouyez-Forge offered his take on inter-galactic street dressing. The spirited lineup featured handsomely distorted silhouettes done in

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Project has selected the two emerging designers who will be showcased at its New York trade show next week.
Madison Li and Molly Kirchoff have been chosen to exhibit as part of the show’s Next in Class section. The initiative kicked off in July and is part of the trade show’s partnership with The New School’s Parsons School of Design.
Next in Class offers the school’s recent graduates an opportunity to expand and grow their emerging businesses.
Li studied at Central Saint Martins in London as well as Parsons where his interests in fields such as product design‚ architecture, technology and sculpture are visible in his fashion designs.
Kirchoff has a bachelor’s of fine arts from Parsons and has worked at Thom Browne, Joe’s Blackbook, Linder New York and Utility Canvas.
She said the program “allows me a platform to voice my design philosophy and exhibit my own abstract ways of problem solving that were developed during years of schooling. Fresh ideas in combination with experience create the change that propels fashion forward.”
She said the opportunity to show at Project will also allow her to “speak with and gain insight from like-minded industry professionals” is also expected to “better my work as a designer and

Four South Korean design talents are gearing up to present their fall collections at men’s fashion week in London. The Korea Creative Content Agency, a government-sponsored organization, is staging the showcase, which runs Friday to Monday at 180 The Strand.
The presentation will feature apparel brands Me: Yoomi, Sewing Boundaries and Dozoh as well as custom footwear label Redmeteor Design.
Here is a rundown of the participants:
ME: YOOMI
Designer: Chu Yoomi
Age: 40
Education: Master of Fashion Design at Dongduk University
Background: Worked as a designer at Korean multibrand retailer Ecru, men’s brand Wozzeck and Hello Kitty
Sales points: Sells at a selection of stores in France, Israel, China and Korea
Retail price points: $ 308 to $ 1,666
Inspiration for fall: “My inspiration was images from the past that make our image for the future. A balance of restraint and freedom, the collection is a mix of urban lifestyle, comfortable, casual yet business-ready with chic minimal lines.”
Design philosophy: “My design attitude is that chic and comfortable should coexist.”

MARCH ON: A group of designers has come together to raise money for the upcoming Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 21.
Mara Hoffman, along with Aurora James, Ace & Jig, Clare Vivier, Erica Weiner, Erin Considine, Electric Feathers, Fay Andrada, Robin Mollicone, Lulu Frost, Lizzie Fortunato, Maiyet, Melissa Joy Manning, Pamela Love, Rachel Antonoff, Raquel Allegra, Yestadt Millinery and Ulla Johnson, with support from Julie Gilhart, are donating a percentage of proceeds from their web site and store sales to Gathering for Justice, the organization behind the march, to cover the costs of logistics and production of the event.
Hoffman, for example, will be donating 10 percent of all merchandise sold on marahoffman.com to the Women’s March. In addition, all merchandise sitewide will be marked down 10 percent, including sale items.
The sale takes place Saturday from midnight through Sunday at 11:59 p.m. The discount code upon checkout is WEMARCH.
There is also a donation link: crowdrise.com/gathering-for-justice-inc.

ALL IN GOOD FUN: With its new Lernert & Sander film, COS seems to be simultaneously parodying how essential seating is for this season’s holiday get-togethers and poking fun at fashion designers’ ongoing game of musical chairs.
But those six designers vying for five highly designed seats in “COS x Musical Chairs” weren’t found in a casting call. As visitors to COS’ site can learn, the competitors also created the contemporary furniture they are vying for. In what appears to be an international effort, the H&M-owned retail chain recruited Canadian designer Philippe Malouin, Dutch-born Marjan van Aubel, Denmark-based Hay cofounder Mette Hay, German product designer Tino Seubert, British furniture designer Lucy Kurrein and Seungji Mun, whose Mun studio is based in Seoul and Copenhagen. Each wears items from the COS party collection and plays the game to music provided by a COS-dressed four-piece band.
The artists and filmmakers known simply as Lernert & Sander certainly know how to work the fashion crowd, having provided a bevy of creative services for such companies as Kenzo, Hermès, Brioni, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Colette, Nowness, Viktor & Rolf, L’Oréal and Wieden & Kennedy among others. Reached in their Amsterdam studio Thursday, the duo didn’t have time

“Just show me half a centimeter of a heel, and I instantly recognize the model which I created,” said Pierre Hardy. “It’s like a puzzle, one piece reveals the entire image.”
Thursday night saw the opening of the “Walk With Pierre Hardy” exhibition in Paris. The show was the culmination of a collaborative project between the cobbler and photography students from ECAL/University of Art and Design, Lausanne, Switzerland. Together with course tutor Philippe Jarrigeon (the fashion photographer behind the campaign for Marni’s collaboration with Zalando), Hardy selected 15 models from his archive. Each student was allocated a shoe (they drew lots, to make it fair) and visually reinterpreted it using the medium of photography.
“The students told me what they wanted to express,” said Hardy. “I used to be a teacher myself [at Paris’ Ecole Supérieure d’Arts Appliqués Duperré, where I taught scenography], so the challenge was to not act as a teacher and guide them but to be a client as if they were pitching a campaign to me.”
Each representation brought out an underlying quality in the shoes, he said. His Blade shoe, one of the first he ever created, was treated by Anais Leu “like a kinky shoe, a Saturday

ALL FOR ALICE: Disney has teamed with a bevy of fashion designers on a series of capsule collections to celebrate the worldwide release of Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass” movie on May 27.
Robert Clergerie will be launching a range in May, in homage to the “Alice” sequel. The brand joins a roster of designers including Marc Jacobs, Olympia Le Tan, Vans, Essentiel and Irregular Choice who have all created special ranges.
Clergerie’s creative director Roland Mouret took his cue from the Queen of Hearts for a three-piece footwear range. He incorporated spades, hearts, diamonds and clovers as perforated designs on patent leather for a clutch or the decorative tassel on a keychain.
The limited-edition range is priced from 170 pounds, or $ 249, for a pouchette to 440 pounds, or $ 647, for shoes. They will be sold at Robert Clergerie stores and retailers including Net-a-porter.
“Disney opened my eyes to the world of imagination and creativity when I was a child,” said Mouret. “So when the opportunity to create a shoe collection with Robert Clergerie for Disney’s new film ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ arose, it was a childhood dream come true.”
He said both Alice books are among his favorite stories “because of the absurdity,

ONE FOR THE BOYS: British designers Christopher Raeburn, Lou Dalton, Astrid Andersen, Craig Green and Sibling have been shortlisted for the BFC/GQ Designer Men’s Wear Fund 2016, the British Fashion Council said Tuesday.
“As the men’s wear industry continues to grow in size and reputation this year’s shortlist shows the diversity and the talent of London’s men’s wear designers,” said Caroline Rush, the BFC’s chief executive. “As well as sheer creativity, these designers also have impressive business strategies and the potential to be Britain’s next big menswear brands.”
The nominees for the prize will take part in a two-week mentoring program where they will receive aid on branding, leadership, commercial retail, e-tail, wholesale and digital innovation. The fund is supported by Vertu, which will hold a mentoring day at Interchange Camden in London.
At the end of the month, the shortlisted designers will provide a business plan to a judging panel and the winner will receive mentoring support for a year as well as a grant of 150,000 pounds, or $ 218,245, towards their business and 50,000 pounds, or $ 72,748, worth of services. The winner will be announced on May 18.
The prize is focused on businesses that have been trading for more than two

Donna Karan will be sitting down with Trudie Styler to discuss the fashion designer’s new book, “My Journey.” The conversation will take place at the 92nd Street Y on Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
In her book (Ballantine Books, $ 30), which will be published Oct. 13, Karan shares her life story, including intimate and candid stories of her difficult childhood, her five decades working on Seventh Avenue, her two marriages, motherhood and her spiritual journey over the last 20 years, as well as her departure from her namesake label last June.
“Sting [Styler’s husband] and I were both born on the same day, Oct. 2, so we have a lot in common,” said Karan.
Tickets can be purchased through the 92nd Street Y Web site.

Kanye West’s show, a last-minute addition to New York Fashion Week on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at noon, is causing headaches for at least one fashion designer. Anne Bowen, who planned to launch her new streetwear collection, Nomad VII by Anne Bowen, at the exact same time, is up in arms and scrambling to reschedule.
Another headache: Naeem Khan is also scheduled to show in Kayne’s new time slot.
Bowen told WWD: “We have been prepping for a year for this at considerable financial, labor and commitment cost to our company. Our show date has been scheduled for months and has been on the Fashion Calendar for weeks. We went through all the proper channels to make this a reality. And just yesterday we learned that Kanye West is having a show at the same time on the same date as ours.”
“Kanye knows he is a media sensation and it is just not ethical to do this. It’s like we are David and he is Goliath. We have put our heart and soul into our show, and should not be stepped on like this,” continued Bowen.
Consequently, Bowen said she has to move her show date to Thursday, Sept. 17 at 12:30 at the

Three designers who launched their collections at New York Fashion Week in February — Gabriela Hearst, Ji Oh and Laura Vassar and Kristopher Brock, the husband-and-wife team behind Brock Collection — discuss what they learned from their first experience and what they changed for their second act.
WWD: What was the most exciting part of planning your first NYFW presentation last season?
Gabriela Hearst: It was our launch season and we’d been conceptualizing the project for more than two years, so it had been a long journey to get there. Only a few trusted key people had seen the collection so we were very excited to finally show it.
Ji Oh: The most exciting part for me was the casting. Finding the right face and the right attitude isn’t so easy, but still very fun. When a girl comes in and tries my clothes on and looks great, nothing makes me happier.
Laura Vassar and Kristopher Brock: Seeing the world we dreamt of come together was the most exciting part. The days before our presentation were our favorite — the styling, casting, hair and makeup tests, and set design.

WWD: What was the most stressful or frustrating part?
G.H.: As the debut season was a very personal collection,

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaraguan emerging designers Shantall Lacayo and Ana Alexandra Velazquez are aiming to tap overseas markets by showing at Paris’ Who’s Next in September.
Lacayo, who has sales of $ 80,000 a year, hopes to open 12 points of sale over the next three to five years, with tentative plans to market in Paris, Dubai, Miami, Los Angeles and New York.
In the near-term, she hopes to open doors in Honduras and El Salvador to take her count beyond her current four points of sale in Nicaragua and Panama. Further into the future, she hopes to enter the U.S. and Europe.
“I would love to find an agent to represent me in Paris and one day sell in Bloomingdale’s or Saks [Fifth Avenue],” said Lacayo, who also helps direct the Nicaragua Diseña trade fair, which has an expanding fashion wing that also showcases other design talents.
Lacayo, who was second finalist in the 2010 edition of “Project Runway Latin America,” hopes her spring 2016 will attract attention at Porte de Versailles.
Dubbed “Gypsy Goddess,” the collection features several embroidered dresses inspired by the Nicaraguan genciana flower and featuring geometric and Cubist prints evoking the Seventies. The most popular item has been a handmade, dark-blue nylon-mesh gown

MUMBAI, India — There is even more glitz and party spirit at Lakme Fashion Week as the event continues the 15-year celebrations that began with the LFW summer-resort season last March.
The five-day winter/festive season opened Wednesday featuring 100 designers, a big leap from 84 in March. It is being seen as a time to take stock, both of the industry and of the event, which opened with a pre-event show on Tuesday by long-established designer duo Sandeep Khosla and Abu Jani.
The show set the tone for pomp as well as partying with glamorous embroidered evening dresses, a cream and gold color palette and retro music that had the audience foot tapping.
“We have the senior most fashion designers such as Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Ritu Kumar, Tarun Tahiliani, Neeta Lulla, Anita Dongre and then we have the younger designers who are launched with the event. That’s the charm of Lakme Fashion Week,” Saket Dhankar, vice president and head of fashion at IMG Reliance Ltd., said.
The fashion week is organized by IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd., a venture between Reliance Industries Ltd. and sports marketing and management company IMG Worldwide, in collaboration with beauty brand Lakme, which is a subsidiary of consumer goods

“Men’s wear” is starting to sound like an antiquated term.
Silk blouses, knit skirts and hip-hugging tunics are all part of the picture for the spring 2016 season, accentuating the ways that men’s collections are becoming more gender fluid than ever.
Designers Alessandro Michele at Gucci, Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent and Jonathan Anderson were among those flying the flag for a new young style inspired by Millennials — a generation that appears to have cast off gender labels like last season’s Zara duds.
And all this coincides with a moment when the transgender community — thank you, Caitlyn Jenner — is experiencing unprecedented visibility.
“We are living in a transgender moment,” said Riki Wilchins, a transgender activist and author of three books on gender theory. “Gender roles are being challenged, and they’re being challenged in fashion. Fashion isn’t just reflecting it, fashion is helping to lead it, it’s profound and it’s here to stay.”
Even before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in June, a revolution was playing out on social media. “I think Millennials are definitely pushing this change. Millennials are much more comfortable with gender nonconformity and gender queerness,” Wilchins said.
Celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart and Cara Delevingne are

Any bride can shop the big-name wedding dress designers, but if you want your aisle style to be unique, you should check out gowns by under-the-radar labels, including two of our new favorites. With gorgeous…

Since we learned yesterday that Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux tied the knot Wednesday night, the details—and the rumors—about their wedding have been flying. Here’s what we’ve heard so far. Stay tuned for updates. The…

They wore bell-bottoms wider at the hem than at the waist, shoulder pads a linebacker would envy, glittery butterfly hair clips, fuzzy boas, and, of course, a few “sewed-it-myself” looks. When WWD asked designers — from Tommy Hilfiger and Norma Kamali to Brian Atwood and Pamela Love — to share memories of their back-to-school fashion choices, we discovered some were preppy wannabes and others were fans of grunge, but most were just teens trying to find their own personal style.

ROYAL PRIZE: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark wearing Danish label Fonnesbech presented Sara Lundberg with the Designers’ Nest prize.
The talent show and award organized by trade fair Revolver was held Friday afternoon during Copenhagen Fashion Week.
A jury that included London-based designer Peter Jensen, Eyes on Talents’ cofounder Guillaume de Piédoüe and fashion scholar Ane Lunge Jorlen selected the 28-year-old Swedish designer as the winner of the competition.
“She expressed the way we convey emotions today is through emojis, and how fashion has become a new community,” Lunge Jorlen explained.
“Her statement was very strong: fashion turned into a totem, a sculpture,” de Piédoüe said. The co-founder of the online platform for connecting brands with international design talents sees a “good combination of technical skills and creativity among Scandinavian designers.”
Lundberg, who just graduated from at the Swedish Schools of Textiles and cites Rei Kawakubo among her favorite designers, is to start a PhD in fashion design in Vilnius, Lithuania this fall. “I want to discuss things, and continue to do projects about humanity,” she told WWD.
Lundberg was one of 24 students from eight schools in Nordic countries competing for the prize, valued at 50,000 Danish kroner, or $ 7,310 at current exchange.
Louise Wanggren also from

YOUNG PIONEERS: The Centre for Fashion Enterprise, a British business incubator, has announced the six London-based designers who will join its New Fashion Pioneer Program, which runs for six months. They are the LVMH Grand Prix scholarship winner Richard Malone; women’s wear designer Min Wu; Lei Sihan of the jewelry brand Lion Studio; the design duo Gyo Kim and Yuni Choe of the sustainable women’s wear label Gyo Yuni Kimchoe; performance activewear designer Charli Cohen, and Fashion East men’s wear designer Grace Wales Bonner.
“These Pioneer designers represent a new crop of talent who are breaking the mold. They redefine what a fashion business is, and illustrate that today’s new designers can explore design, fashion and product from a range of different angles with sufficient talent to lead new markets,” said Wendy Malem, director of the CFE.
“Since we launched our label, we have faced so many difficulties and problems in various areas and the program and the support it provides will be such a huge help to overcome these obstacles and grow as a sustainable business,” said designers Gyo Kim and Yuni Choe. Among the program’s alumni are fashion labels Erdem, Thomas Tait, Marques’Almeida, Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto and Craig Green.

DUBAI — In a region known for its affinity for luxury brands, the appetite for regional designers has been slow to develop. But if the latest edition of Dubai’s Fashion Forward is any indication, that mind set is beginning to change.
More than 75 regional buyers turned out for the four-day event, which included 23 runway shows and presentations, panel discussions and showroom events.
“We started Fashion Forward two years ago to heighten awareness for the design talent we have in this market,” said Bong Guerrero, founder of Fashion Forward. “This platform is the starting point and as the industry becomes more mature, the content keeps getting better, buyers are more interested and consumers more aware.”
Shireen El Khatib is a retail executive known as one of the pioneers in retailing in the region, having introduced countless foreign brands into the market since the early Nineties, from Gucci to Giorgio Armani and department stores Bloomingdale’s and Harvey Nichols. Now she is launching an innovative new concept store called Macramé, focused solely on Middle Eastern brands. Slated to open at the end of the year, the store will be the first of its kind, offering a platform to both established and emerging designers across

RUFFIAN DUO TO DEBUT NEW LINE IN L.A.: Designers Brian Wolk and Claude Morais are still in the honeymoon phase of their Los Angeles love affair. Inspired by their recent move from New York, the Ruffian designers will launch a new line called Wolk Morais on April 13, which marks the one-year anniversary of their arrival in Hollywood. Focused on the pre-seasons rather than spring and fall, the line will offer a dressier take that Wolk calls “luxury sportswear with evening elements” meant to be worn year-round. It will be shown in October and April annually. All pieces are sourced and produced in Los Angeles and will retail between $ 795 and $ 4995.
“When we moved here there was a dramatic climate change in our native New York and it gave us a new perspective on the way women dress. The pre-seasons make the most sense because they have the longest shelf life and been most financially successful for our retailers.”
The duo says they moved West to have creative freedom outside of the traditional New York fashion system, and showed Ruffian’s spring 2015 collection at Gavlak Gallery in Hollywood. This time, they’ll debut Wolk Morais at Kohn Gallery, fitting because it was

NEW YORK — Design Entrepreneurs NYC, a free, intensive “mini-MBA” program based at the Fashion Institute of Technology that educates emerging New York City-based fashion designers on how to run a successful business, is now accepting applications through April 7.
DENYC offers emerging designers in-depth courses and one-on-one help on marketing, public relations, operations and financial management specifically within the fashion industry. Some $ 150,000 will be awarded to DENYC participants with outstanding business plans to further implement the skills and plans they develop over the course of the program.
DENYC was created through a partnership between the New York City Economic Development Corp. and FIT in 2011, and the fashion industry, led by DENYC founding sponsor G-III Apparel Group, is funding this year’s awards and ensuring the program’s sustainability. Additional funding is coming for the first time from companies such as Calvin Klein, The Doneger Group, YM Fashions and Herman Kay.
In order to apply, emerging designers must have businesses that are based in one of New York City’s five boroughs and have been open for at least one year. The application and additional information are available online at designentrepreneursnyc.com.
Each year, some 200 designers have applied and they’ve selected 35 people for the

TOKYO — As the fashion pack barely catches its collective breath from the conclusion of the Paris shows, Tokyo Fashion Week starts today, with designers here voicing optimism despite the looming challenges of growing their small businesses and a domestic economy that continues to sputter.
Future prospects look mixed. On the one hand, Japan is struggling to climb out of a recession and local consumers remain cautious about spending. On the other, tourists from elsewhere in Asia are flooding the country to take advantage of a weak yen and shop. While most Japanese designers still do the bulk of their business in their home country, the currency factor stands to boost the nation’s fashion exports.
Designers are going to need all the overseas help they can get. Last week [EDS: March 9], Japan revised down its fourth-quarter GDP figures to show that the economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.5 percent in the October to December period — the initial estimate pegged growth at 2.2 percent. Meanwhile, household consumption in January fell 5.1 percent in price-adjusted real terms, indicating that consumers still have not fully recovered from last April’s historic sales tax hike. On a brighter note, consumer confidence in February

GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT: Anton Belinskiy’s sweater said it all: “Poor But Cool.” He’s one of 26 young designers who displayed their wares at the headquarters of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton on Wednesday night, all vying for a cash prize of 300,000 euros, or $ 335,560 at current exchange, plus a year of coaching from the luxury group.
There was a mood of camaraderie among the designers, despite the walls separating their stands and all the jockeying for attention as members from the expert panel, who must whittle down the crop to eight finalists, toured the room along with top LVMH brass.
“It’s really exciting to see all these great talents here, and to see all the energy,” said Delphine Arnault, executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and the woman who conceived the prize as a powerful talent scout and advocate for young designers at the luxury giant her family controls. “It’s already great for them and I hope it’ll help their careers.”
The 45 experts have two days to inspect collections and meet designers before casting their vote. Finalists are to face a jury whose members include Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquière, Raf Simons, Phoebe Philo, Riccardo Tisci, Jonathan Anderson and

Tim Williams’ ‘Circuit Designer’s Companion’ provides a unique masterclass in practical electronic design that draws on his considerable experience as a consultant and design engineer. As well as introducing key areas of design with insider’s knowledge, Tim focuses on the art of designing circuits so that every production model will perform its specified function and no other unwanted function – reliably over its lifetime. The combination of design alchemy and awareness of commercial and manufacturing factors makes this an essential companion for the professional electronics designer. Topics covered include analog and digital circuits, component types, power supplies and printed circuit board design. The second edition includes new material on microcontrollers, surface mount processes, power semiconductors and interfaces, bringing this classic work up to date for a new generation of designers. This book is a unique masterclass in the design of optimized, reliable electronic circuits. Beyond the lab, it is a guide to electronic design for production, where cost-effective design is imperative. Tips and know-how provide a whole education for the novice, with something to offer the most seasoned professional.

In his fall show, Altuzarra sent models down the runway in evening dresses and skirts styled with what we can most accurately describe as Patagonia-style fleeces. Though the styling was epically amazing, it may have fallen a little short of practical for most of us. That being said, it did nothing to stop us from swooning over each and every piece.

Altuzarra reminded us of the Patagonias of our past that we didn’t even realize we had forgotten about. So, in lieu of a black-tie event fit for the likes of his satin gowns, the winter season is the perfect time to appreciate a great fleece. Cozier than anything you will ever own, your fleece can be rocked everywhere from the ski slopes to the city streets. This winter, I definitely pulled a few of my old fleeces out of storage and—confession time—I even bought an awesome pullover from Crewcuts (seriously, shop some of the larger sizes in the boys’ department and you’ll be surprised what you can find!).

Now, some of you may have already tossed the fleeces of your past, and others are not overly enthusiastic to shell out designer prices for your fleece of choice. For both those reasons and more, we have rounded up 20 of the best fleeces of the season. Grab one before the holidays and cozy up at home with your family and friends!

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How do you stay warm through the winter? Do you love the retro fleece trend as much as we do?

Brooklyn jewelry designers have emerged over the past decade or so with a distinct philosophy, fusing the concepts of high-end luxury with low-key presentation. They’ve also shown a gutsy independent streak, which may go a long way in explaining why so many of them also run their own shops. Their retail spaces become extensions of their design aesthetics and ideal environments for people to enjoy their latest works. Many of these shops double as studios, allowing visitors to see firsthand how the pieces on display come into being.

Simple in design, but with the right amount of elegance to complement upscale interiors, the Designers Fountain 81821 Mendocino Flushmount in Forged Sienna Finish will be the right choice for your hallway or any other room of the house. The beautiful forged sienna finish plays up the delicate beauty of the warm amber glaze glass shade, while two 60-watt incandescent medium base bulbs (not included) emit a warm glow that’s both ambient and functional. About Designers Fountain Headquartered in sunny Los Angeles, Designers Fountain lets you show off your creative side. Indulge yourself and your home with a range of lighting styles, from contemporary to classic, each crafted with care from high-quality materials. Designers Fountain supplies lighting fixtures to over 1,200 authorized North American dealers and sources designs from across the world. Get quality lighting that enhances your home while impressing you with its affordable price… only from Designers Fountain. Traditional-style flushmount Forged sienna finish; warm amber glaze shade Decorative ceiling light for interior use Requires (2) 60W incandescent medium base bulbs (not included) Overall dimensions: 14.75W x 8H inches

I’m a conscious consumer. I shop second-hand, I limit my consumption of “stuff,” and I try to keep my purchases local. I believe in voting with my dollars, and I’ve gone so far as to dedicate my career to figuring out what that means.

On occasion, though, when I’m hankering for a new piece of jewelry or a unique gift I can’t find in my local thrift shop, I’ll look to Etsy. If I’m going to dish out the cash on a new item, I know that my purchase has more impact if it goes to the local makers who are working on their craft.

As someone who is directly involved in the maker movement, I’m somewhat embarrassed to say I didn’t pay much attention when Etsy changed its policies last fall. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, CEO Chad Dickerson announced that Etsy sellers could use outside manufacturers to produce their designs. In other words, items sold on Etsy no longer had to be handmade.

It wasn’t until a few months ago, when looking on Etsy for a new watch that I realized the implications of this change.

I had a specific brown, repurposed leather, wrap-watch in mind. I knew the one I wanted was handmade by a seller in Ohio, but I didn’t know his name. Typing in a simple search for “wrap watch” into Etsy, I proceeded to spend nearly an hour sifting through 50+ pages of three-dollar “wrap watches” from China.

My eyes scanned over page after page of items I would have expected to find in the kiosks of Daytona Beach, not on a website for handmade goods. I sat at my computer with my jaw on the keyboard, wondering what had just happened. When I eventually found what I was looking for I purchased the handmade watch, for significantly more than three dollars, and moved on. I didn’t think much more about the experience after that.

A few months later, I met an Etsy seller through Factory45, the accelerator program I run for designers and makers. Among other reasons, she applied to my program looking for business guidance on restoring her Etsy shop sales.

She recently told me, “Last year my Etsy sales tripled in the spring and then again in the fall, so I figured things were still looking good. But in May, my views dropped off to about one-third of what they were in the previous months and as compared to last year. I thought they just dipped because of the holiday weekend and the nice weather, but in June they did not pick back up.”

She went on to explain that several message boards had popped up about similar drops in traffic for other Etsy sellers. When I went on the site to see for myself I found threads with titles like, “Are most of you feeling the low traffic, views and sales?” “Can Etsy stop letting Chinese factories sell here?” and “Your Stuff: Made in China?” with diplomatic responses from Etsy administrators encouraging the sellers “to take advantage of the downtime.” (Interesting advice when downtime could mean the difference between paying and not paying your rent.)

Aside from the issue that independent designers are now competing with full-scale production operations, there is the issue of sheer volume — Etsy now has over 1 million shops. When a seller is competing in a sea of 999,999 other shops, the odds aren’t good.

Now that Etsy shoppers have the option of buying from middlemen selling three dollar watches, finding that handmade wrap watch you’re looking for will undoubtedly be more difficult. From the seller’s perspective, no matter how many times they change their “tags,” SEO or refresh their storefront, the traffic just isn’t going to come like it used to.

So what actually happened?

In the fall of 2013, Etsy shifted their loyalty from the maker to the shareholder as it made plans to further scale its business model. How did this change things?

Because Etsy’s policy changes happened at the maker’s expense, many of the people who were once making a living off of their shops are now seeing a fraction of the sales. The difference between Etsy, and let’s say, Wal-Mart just got a whole lot smaller. At the core, Etsy changed its mission. No longer is it a website for makers of one-of-a-kind, original goods. Instead, it has become yet another website for the mass-produced and cheaply made goods that satisfy our insatiable culture of mindless consumption.

So what’s a seller to do?

If you’re an independent designer or maker with an Etsy shop, there are a few ways to try and get your traffic back up.

Create a small network of fellow sellers. Etsy offers the “team” feature but going beyond that, find five other sellers who have a similar target market and non-competing products. Work together to promote each other’s shops using your individual social media outlets and outside networks.

Narrow down your niche and create very specific tags. “Screen printed t-shirt” just isn’t going to cut it anymore. The competition is too high. Use tags and keywords you know would appeal to your target market and get specific.

Guest post on the Etsy blog. The blog run by Etsy is “consumer facing,” meaning the content is written for shoppers. It’s an entire platform where your potential customers could be hanging out. Come up with a few article ideas that would appeal to Etsy shoppers and pitch the editorial team.

Move marketing efforts away from Etsy to Pinterest, Instagram and a personal blog. Etsy ads are not going to be as effective as they used to be, so save your money. Focus your marketing efforts on creating compelling content through your social media outlets. Host contests on Pinterest, run giveaways on Instagram and write about the “behind-the-scenes” of your business on your blog.

As someone who supports the manufacturing movement in the USA, I believe that Etsy sellers should be able to scale production when their sales numbers get too high to manage on their own. My issue with Etsy lies in the lack of a discerning gatekeeper.

It comes down to this: the world doesn’t need another eBay. It needs the old Etsy.

Get more business strategy for your Etsy store or small business from Factory45 here.

This valuable materials directory for professional dressmakers and fashion designers is also a good reference source for students of fashion design, as well as for those who make their own garments. The author points out the best fabrics for creating specific garments, explaining how each fabric’s qualities make it suitable for various items of apparel. Knowing which fabrics can support a structured silhouette is fundamental to fashion design, and this book explains the use of stiff or crisply textured fabrics for tailored garments, as well as soft textured fabrics for rounded forms. Ornamentation is also discussed, and includes advice on how to work with different fabrics to create what author Gail Baugh classifies as opulent, simple, and in-between decorative effects. The book’s additional features include: Fiber characteristics charts Weave charts and knit charts with fabric names and photos A glossary of terms and definitions Lists of textile suppliers, online stores, and study resources This directory of textiles and their uses is profusely illustrated with more than 500 color photos.

The team behind Plus Pool (+POOL) — that floating swimming hole that promises to be the world’s first water-filtering system of its kind — is inching closer to its goal of creating a massive public pool on the banks of New York’s East River.

In a statement released this week, masterminds Archie Lee Coates IV, Dong-Ping Wong and Jeff Franklin announced they are beginning construction on Float Lab, an experimental version of the planned 164-foot +POOL. They raised the funds for the smaller pool (35 feet by 35 feet, to be exact) through their last Kickstarter endeavor. Set to launch in 2014, it will put their filtration membranes to the test in real-river conditions and run throughout the summer to capture data.

Coates and company have partnered with naval architects at Persak & Wurmfeld, filtration textiles and systems specialists at Mackworth, fabricators at Olollo, Hudson River Park’s Pier 40, River Project, Columbia University’s Earth Institute and Riverkeeper to help make the test pool and water quality studies happen, and to keep the public informed of their progress.

Along with Float Lab, +POOL also announced the next phase of it’s “Tile by Tile” campaign, a crowdfunding method that offers supporters the opportunity to purchase a +POOL tile that will become part of the project’s final structure. The team is hoping to raise $ 500,000 this time around to further the larger pool’s design, engineering development, and economic impact report, among other things.

The 164-foot +POOL is still scheduled to open in 2016, if fundraising allows. In total, the pool needs to sell 70,000 tiles to reach its $ 15 million goal — a sum that would make this project the largest publicly and privately funded civic project to date.

“We look at the High Line as a perfect model [for +POOL funding]. It’s both public and private in the sense that it functions like a public park — it’s free to the public, the public can use it,” Coates explained in an interview with The Huffington Post. “But it’s offering all of this privately, because it’s funded through a non-profit called “Friends of the High Line.” That would be our goal, so that the project is not a burden on the city.”

“We’re not adding problems, but we are creating something that is a full-on part of the civic architecture of the city,” he added.